Vinyl Flooring Pros & Cons
Vinyl flooring is a reasonably new type of flooring method which is primarily used in institutional and commercial applications. It is a type of resilient flooring that uses vinyl instead of plastic, rubber, linoleum, PVC and other types of artificial composite floors.
Vinyl flooring originally popular within the North America, it is made of derived versions of Polyvinyl Chloride products that were sold in the 1980s. vinyl flooring is water-and stain-resistant, versatile, and provides good durability for the cost and usually come in 2 form, Vinyl sheet and Vinyl tiles.
So before deciding for Vinyl flooring you should understand some of the Pros and Cons with using vinyl flooring material.
The advantages
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Durability
Vinyl flooring is durable and can stand up to extreme high-traffic because of its commercial- grade wear layers. It is waster resistance and a well-installed vinyl floor can be expected to last for about twenty years commercial spaces and institutions as they require floors that are tough and lasts long.
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Maintenance
Because of its durability, vinyl flooring naturally require lower maintenance and do not require constant attention. Vinyl tiles can be easily maintained as it takes a lot of impacts, is resilient to abrasion and it can be cleaned by the use of mechanical buffing equipment and chemical strippers very easily.
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Economical
Vinyl flooring is easy to install and given its durability and ease of maintenance, Vinyl flooring does not make it expensive especially when compared to other resilient material such us, Hardwood or Natural stones which cost more and require more assistance to install.
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Variety of choice and colors
Color and texture plays an important role in defining a space, with modern vinyl flooring are available in a variety of styles and patterns mimicking the looks of regular tiles. Wood, concrete, stone, terrazzo and many more.
Those are some of the benefit of using a vinyl flooring, however just like any other floors, vinyl floors have some disadvantages as well.
The disadvantages
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Cannot withstand heavy Load
Although vinyl flooring can withstand heavy traffic, its not the same with heavy load. Some vinyl with lower quality will tend to have lower resistance to heavy load and sharp objects which will damage the vinyl layers and will not be repairable unless changing damaged the panel.
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Preparation
It is relatively easy to install vinyl flooring, however it is not so easy to prepare the subfloor prior to placing the Vinyl sheets. The subfloor should be free of any types of particles to make the vinyl floor good and not let bumps and lumps show up on it, ruining the whole floor.
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Not for Outdoors
When exposed to direct sunlight, the colors can fade floors can be damaged by extreme temperatures. Furthermore, given its lower resistance to sharp objects, placing vinyl flooring for outdoors is not recommended.
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Difficult to change
Some method of installing vinyl flooring is using glue, however it is very difficult to remove if glued down and will require professional help. Installing vinyl over another vinyl floor also not recommended.
Overall Vinyl flooring is a beautiful way to decorate your floor, it comes with of colour schemes and and options. It durable and require low maintenance with many more advantages. Be mindful of some of vinyl flooring disadvantages and you can enjoy all the pros of vinyl flooring.
Still have doubt which flooring material you should use? Reach out to us and our professional team will be delighted to help you find what you need.